Railroad-tie



G. L. FISK.

RAILROAD TIE.

APPLICATION FILED 1150.20, 1919.

1,358,536, Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

FIG. 1

ill/III i V PAT T OFFICE.

GUSTAF L. FISK, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA,

RAILROAD-TILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Novi 9, 1920.

Application filed December 20, 1919. Serial No. 346,314.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUsTAr L. FIsK, a subject of the King of Sweden, and resident of arrisburg, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad- Ties; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to a metallic railroad tie.

The obj ect of my invention is to provide a metallic tie of great strength and durability which may be readily rolled to shape, and of such design as to give large and effective bearing surface between the tie and roadbed thereby lowering the maintenance cost, as well as a tie having other advantages, all as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side view of my improved tie; Fig. 2 is a plan view of same showing portions of" the track rails arranged thereon; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 33, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 shows a modified form of my invention.

My improved tie consists of the bottom or bearing surface 2 with the sides 3 extending upwardly and diverging to form a sub stantially flaring trough section, and said tie may be rolled in suitable rolls and is preferably made of steel. The bottom of the tie is made broad to furnish a large bearing area where the track ballast is most solid, while the taper of the sides will tend to wedge the tie into proper bearing on the ballast.

At the tops of the sides 3 are the outwardly extending flanges 4 with the clownwardly extending lip portions 5 extending slightly outwardly. This construction forms the inverted u shaped portions at the top of the sides of the tie which act to retain the ballast and form a firm support for the entire tie while the downwardly extending lips 5 which extend only to a comparatively small depth will make re-ballasting easy and eflective.

The flanges 4 are connected by the plates 6 which may be secured by the rivets 7 or other suitable fastening means to said flanges. These plates act to reinforce the tie and also serve as tie-plates for the support of the track-rails. These plates are secured to the flanges 4 a suitable distance from either track rail 8 at points where the cracking of the tie at the bolt or rivet holes connecting the plates with the tie.

The tie-plates 6 not only serve to protect the tie from undue strains and eliminate wear of the track-rails on the tie, but they also strengthen the tie and furnish a large bealring area for the support of the track rai s.

These tie-plates are preferably made of rolled section design, and I have illustrated a rail fastening device for securing the rails in position on the ties, which rail fastening device forms the subject of a separate application for Letters Patent of the United States filed by me of even date herewith, Serial No. 346,313, although it is apparent that any suitable form of rail fastening device may be employed in connection with my improved tie.

In Fig. 4' I have illustrated my invention in connection with insulation for electric signals or other purposes. In this case insulating pads 10 are inserted between the tie-plates and the tie proper, and bolts 11 with insulating bushings 12 and insulating washers 13 are employed.

The chief advantages of my improved tie construction may be summarized as follows:

Low manufacturing cost due to the use of rolled sections.

Simplicity and saving in manufacture, storage and installation by using the same tie construction for straight and curved tracks.

Great strength and durability due to high section modulus per pound weight and due to the indirect fastening of the rails to the tie proper.

Proper flexibility due to shape of tie section which permits the tie to yield slightly under load.

What I claim is:

1. A railroad tie comprising a flat bottom portion with upwardly extending sides, outwardly extending flanges at the tops of said sides, and downwardly extending por tions on said flanges terminating at points spaced from said sides.

2. A railroad tie comprising a flat bottom portion with upwardly extending diverging sides, outwardly extending flanges at the tops of said sides, and downwardly extending portions .011 said flanges terminating at points spaced from said sides.

3. A railroad tie comprising a fiat lootoutwardly extending flanges at the top of said sides and downwardly and outwardly extending portions on said flanges.

In testimon whereof I, the said GUsTAr 5 tom portion with upwardly extending sides, L. Fisx, have iereunto set my hand.

outwardly extending flanges at the tops of said sidesfand downwardly and outwardly extending portions on said flanges. I

4:. A railroad tie comprising a bottom por- 10 tion, upwardly extending diverging sides,

GUSTAF L. FISK.

Witnesses:

ROY D. Goon, L. D. PERRY. 

